FBLA States
by Doomdude
Summary: A story about two destined lovers and the progression of their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**First Night**

 _Click_. A satisfying sound could be heard as Aashish closed the last luggage compartment on the side of the Charter Bus. Boarding the bus shortly after, he was well aware that the days ahead would be filled with some intense competition, but more importantly fun memories. He found a seat next to his special girl, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Shreya scooched over, offering some room to Aashish, which he was happily obliged to take. The bus rolled out of the parking lot a few minutes after, beginning its long journey to Orlando, the destination being a Hilton Hotel at which one of the largest statewide student conventions would be held. He and Shreya talked a bit about school life and FBLA, as they often did, but following some awkward silence Aashish drifted off.

He woke up groggily, feeling some soft fabric on his left cheek. Still in a daze, Aashish glanced up, unaware of his proximity to Shreya. She smiled, saying "You were asleep on my shoulder the entire ride." He smiled shyly, slightly embarrassed that he fell asleep when he was supposed to be talking to her and that he did so on her shoulder.

"Hope your shoulder isn't too stiff," joked Aashish, to which Shreya quickly assured him it was not. Looking outside, it seemed that they had arrived at their destination, pulling into the driveway of the hotel. After the bus came to a complete stop, the chaperones ushered the kids off the bus to the lobby, where they waited to receive their hotel key cards. Aashish and Shreya decided to grab some coffee at the Starbucks while they waited.

"So, how good do you think we're gonna do?" asked Shreya, breaking the ice at their table.

"With you, we'll do fine," he answered firmly, placing his hand over hers with little hesitance.

"I hope so…." responded Shreya, more focused on Aashish then the actual question. They met each other's gaze momentarily, until one of the chaperones walked in and handed them their hotel IDs. Having finished their coffee at this point, the two got up to leave.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," said Aashish as he waved goodbye to Shreya.

In his room, Aashish laid in his bed, mulling over his schedule for the next day. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sharp ringing of the guest telephone. He picked it up, expecting it to be room service, or something along those lines, but was surprised when he heard Shreya's voice.

"Hey Aashish, I'm gathering the team to prepare for tomorrow. If you can come by my room, 214, that'd be great." Aashish glanced at the time, taking note that curfew was not too far from now.

Nevertheless, he said "Alright, I'm on my way." Opening his door, he was surprised to find that Shreya's room was right across from his, 2 doors down and on the opposite side, which he thought was awfully convenient. He knocked on the door, which opened rather quickly. Aashish peered inside, surprised to see only Shreya.  
"I'm guessing I'm the first one?" asked Aashish to which Shreya shook her head innocently.

"You're the only one."

"Huh-" Aashish was cut off mid-sentence by Shreya as she swiftly closed the door behind him. He looked at Shreya expectantly, hoping for some rational explanation.

"Look Aashish, I wanted to spend more time with you. We're already more than well prepared for Global Biz." Aashish's mouth formed the shape of an O, and he felt stupid, having not picked up on the obvious clues.

"Actually Shreya, I wanted to spend some more time with you as well, I just was a little bit nervous to ask myself." Shreya explained that she figured this was the case, and admitted that her friends pressured her to make this move, but that she was glad she did. "

"So, did you want to talk about anything in particular?" asked Aashish.

"Yeah, actually quite a few things," responded Shreya. She beckoned Aashish to the balcony. "But let's talk somewhere more private."

The breeze of the beautiful night felt cool to the skin, as Aashish and Shreya sat in the two chairs on the balcony. His hand, in Shreya's, however, felt hearteningly warm. "We've been going out for a few months now, right?" questioned Shreya, perfectly aware of the answer.

"Yeah, it's been a really nice few months," replied Aashish honestly, recalling the night of the Sadies dance fondly. The night that they truly began a serious relationship.

"We haven't done too much together, though" murmured Shreya, trailing off, "Not with just the two of us."

He didn't have much of a response other than to say "It's not too late to start now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Second Night**

 _Ring…ring….ring._ The monotonous noise of an alarm brought Aashish out of his slumber. He leaned up, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. Aashish tried to recall the events of last night, the hours after curfew he spent with Shreya. The time he spent alone with her, and nobody else. And the moment when he finally decided to leave, the thing Shreya had given to him for the first time ever since they had started dating. A kiss.

Albeit, it wasn't a direct kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless. Aashish traced his cheek where Shreya had given him her gift. He swore, with a sheepish smile, that he would never forget that moment. Walking over to the bathroom he put on a new face, putting the events of yesterday behind him, determined to perform well for the Global Biz event today. It was 7:30 right now. Thirty minutes until he was supposed to meet Shreya and the rest of his team in the lobby. Quickly thumbing through the attire in his closet, he found his favorite tailored suit and pants (he had brought a backup set in case), and a nice-looking tie. He sported a matching leather watch. With a flash of a smile and a quick glance at the mirror, he knew he was looking the freshest he had been for a while. It was 15 minutes till when he heard a knock on his room door. Although he was ready, he wondered if Shreya had come to pick him up early. His expectations were not betrayed.

"Hey…Just wanted to make sure you weren't still sleeping," said Shreya unconvincingly, after he opened the door.

"How could I sleep in on such an important day?" asked Aashish jokingly. Looking at Shreya now, he was impressed by how gorgeous she looked - not that she wasn't before. "Uh…You look really good Shreya."

"You do too," Shreya returned, blushing. Her hands glided up to Aashish's tie, and she skillfully adjusted it. Her hands lingered for just a moment, before dropping to her sides. "Well then, let's get going, we don't want to keep our team waiting."

As expected, everyone was on time, sitting at the tables to the right of the elevator. They waved at Aashish and Shreya, and they walked over. Once everybody had settled down, Shreya briefly went over the schedule. First they'd take their individual tests at 8:45 and then immediately after, move over to the waiting room in one of the conference hallways. They were the first group to perform. Considering that not many other events were running this early, they could expect many of their peers to be in the audience. Aashish was ready, and he knew his teammates were too.

Post-Competition

"You did really good." Aashish looked up to see Shreya offering him a water bottle as she took a seat next to him.

"Pretty sure we'll place well" added Aashish as he grabbed the water bottle. "We all spoke solidly during the performance section and the test was much easier than I expected it to be, with all the rigorous practice you put us through."

Shreya laughed. "Hey, I thought maybe we could hang out now that we're free?"

"I think that would be a nice incentive for the team," agreed Aashish. "I was actually thinking of-"

"Aashish, I actually meant just the two of us. The rest of our team has plans with their friends."

"Oh," said Aashish. "It isn't exactly close to lunch time, though, what do you have in mind?"

"Now that you mention it, I think maybe we should meet in the evening, after most people are in their rooms, and it isn't so hot out. How about the poolside gazebo? It isn't exactly allowed but…."

"No, that sounds great. Just text me when," exclaimed Aashish quickly. Dang, maybe I sound a bit too excited, he thought to himself. Aashish was glad to see that Shreya seemed to ignore this, however, as she let a small smile slip. "Don't worry, I was already planning to"

Several hours later

Aashish scuffed his sneakers against the concrete sidewalk. He had decided to turn up a few minutes early, but it wasn't making him feel any less nervous. He thought it best if he bought a drink for Shreya, so he went to the Pool Bar and ordered a pina colada, making sure the bartender didn't include any alcohol by mistake. After she had finished mixing it and poured into a glass, it was about time. He turned around to see Shreya in a cute, nonformal dress, waiting expectantly.

"Wow, I thought you looked great in the morning, but you look even greater now," complimented Aashish as he handed her the pina colada.

"Thank you," mumbled Shreya, reddening more than she did in the morning. Before she could return the compliment, however, Aashish took her hand and brought her to the gazebo, which had two small lounge chairs, and one for two in the middle. They decided to take the middle. Like the night before, they talked for hours on end about the latest gossip, and this time over their performance, all while sharing the single drink Aashish had bought. By the time it was 9, it had become pretty chilly, and Aashish thought this would be the perfect cue to go back inside, but Shreya moved closer to him. He was surprised but comforted by her warmth, and he didn't know any other way to respond than to do the same. Aashish hadn't been this close with Shreya before, and wasn't sure whether it was the right move, but her insistence on staying for just a bit longer made him want to be by her side. Shreya's head soon leaned on his shoulder, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the moment as did Aashish. The two stayed like this for the remainder of time they had, warming each other in a silent exchange of mutual feelings.


End file.
